simpson



(No M04191.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1*. A. D. SIMPSON & D. STRAIN. RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL.

Pateg l ed MaLZQ, 1887.

I I. g I Ifiinasses, fizremors, (AMA jww no Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. D. SIMPSON &- D. STRAIN. RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL.

No. 360.056. Patented Mar. 29, I887.

I Iifizz E 5555 .Z'zz rezzziozs UAW ,3 MW- J. al a/M1 7 am k W Jim N. PETERS. Phum-Lnhu m hcr. Washington. D. c.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANSON D. SIMPSON, OF TROY, AND DAVID STRAIN, OF KlNDERl-IOOK, NElV YORK.

A RAILWAY TIME-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,056, dated March 29, 1887.

Application filed August 23, 1886. Serial No. 211,703.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ANSON D. SIMPSON and DAVID STRAIN, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at the city of Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, and at Kinderhook, county of Columbia, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Railway Time-Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of railway-signals which are operated by a moving train of cars, causing the signal to be automatically set at danger.

The object of our invention is to provide a signal that will be set at danger by a passing train at a given point, and at the same time start a clock-movement that will continue running any given time, and indicate upon a dial to the engineer of the next approaching train the length of time that has elapsed since the preceding train passed that point; and if the next approaching train does not approach until after the said given time has elapsed the signal will have changed to no danger. WVe obtain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of our machine, showing the back of the box J and the cover X of the plate H removed to bring into view the mechanism at those points. Fig. 2 is a plan of plate E. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the rails A B, and showing the manner of connecting our machine thereto.

Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is an elevation of our machine. Fig. 5 is a plan on a plane passing through the line 00 w of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the train of wheels in the box J.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

We place the guard-rail B between the two rails of a railroad-track, and attach to it in any suitable manner the bolt 71, which bolt it acts as the fulcrum of the bell-crank lever C. One arm of the bell-crank lever G has a projection, f, extending slightly above the rest of-the arm, and the projection f is placed in contact with one of the rails of a railroad. Theother end of the bell-crank lever O is attached to the rod D at g by means of a split eye and bolt, 9, as

(No model.)

shown-in Fig. 1, or in suitable manner. The rod D passes through the shoulders of the lever-arm E, collar 0, and is threaded to receive the adjusting-nuts c and c. A spring, F, is placed on the rod D between the shoulders of the lever arm E, to prevent any violent shock imparted to the rod D by the train passing over the rail A being transmitted to the rest of the mechanism. The lever-arm E has attached to it the lever c by the pivot-bolt d. The lever c has for its fulcrum the bolt (1, passing through the platef and into the baseplate I-I. plate H by the screws on the bolts n n. Thus the bolt d, forming the fulcrum for the lever o, is held steadily in position. To one end of the lever 11 we attach one end of the curved link 0, and the other end of the curved link o is attached to the arm Z of the signal-staff G.

To the lever 12, near the end to which the curved link o is attached, is secured one end of the spring i. The other end of the spring i is attached to the adjustable rod 2', which is' attached to the base plate H. The stop 6 prevents the lever from moving too far when acted on by the spring 2'. To the end of the signal-staff G is placed a signal board, T. On the signal-staff G, restingon the bottom of the box J, is a spring, I. The signalstat'f G is also provided within the bOX J with two arms, P P, extending at right angles to the staff and to each other. When the track is open and the mechanism is ready to be acted on by the train of cars, the position of our machine is as shown in Fig. 1.

The arm P of the signal staff is under and supports the arm L, attached to the arbor M of the wheel 1. iVhen the first of a train of cars passes over the rail A, the rail is depressed. The rod D draws on the lever 12, causing the curved link '0 to give the signal-staff a quarter-turn, displaying the danger-signal on the signal-board on the end of the staff and forcing the arm 1? from under the arm L. At the same time the arm P presses against the flat spring N, attached to the side of the box containing the wheels, and takes its position in the rear of the curved part of the spring N, where it is held in position and prevents the resiliency of the spring I from turning the sig- The plate f is secured to the basenal-staff back to its normal position. The

arm L, acted on by the clockwork nowin motion, passes around in a circle, passes in front of the wedge-shaped lug Uon the upper part of the curved portion of the fiat spring N, where the arm Z presses against the wedgeshaped lug U, as shown in Fig. 5, and presses it toward the front of the box, causing the flat spring N to move forward, and the arm P, acted on by the spring I, flies out. The staff is acted on by the springs I and 2', turns to its normal position, the arm 1? passes under the arm L, stopping the action of the wheel mechanism, and the part f of the bell-crank lever C presses against the railA, and the signalboard shows the track to be open and that the last train of cars has passed that point at least a length of time indicated by the dial 0. When the signal is at danger, the extreme ends of the curved link 1) are on opposite sides of the signal staff G, and on a straight line through the center of the staff G on plate H. This position prevents the spring z, from acting on the staff until the arm P is liberated and a start given in its revolution back to normal position by the spring I, which throws the end of the link o out of line with the staff G, and the spring 2' causes the mechanism to resume its normal position.

The train of wheels may be arranged as shown in Fig. 6, or in any suitable manner.

In order to protect our mechanism from the inclemency of the weather and from unlawful interference, we place over the plate H and around the signalstaff and train of wheels the covering X Z, usually made of sheet-iron.

In order to prevent the snow, ice, and other substance from accumulating beneath the rail A and prevent it from being depressed when the railroad-train passes over it, we place under the rail A a resilient cushion, 0, Fig. 3, composed of a spring or rubber or any elastic substance of any kind.

\Ve have carefully avoided placing any part of our mechanism where it will come in contact with the wheels or any other part of the railroad-train,and depend upon the depression of the rail caused by the weight of the train to put into operation our signal.

The construction of our machine is so sim- 5 ple that there is very little danger of it becoming inoperative or in need of repair. There being no complicated mechanism, any part of the machine could be supplied at very short notice in case of accident, and the machine itself 5 can be put up at a much more moderate price than any other railroad-signal that we know of.

The operation of our machine is automatic, and it does its work positively and satisfactorily, and supplies an inexpensive railroad-sig- 6 nal, which may be put up at sidings, stations, and at various places along the road where the railroad companies now refrain from placing them because of the great expense of the apparatus now in use for that purpose, and the 6 expense of maintaining them is so great.

Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic railrozul-signal, the combination of the bell crank lever 0, having 7 one end in contact with one of the rails ofa railroad and the other end connected to the rod D, said bell-crank lever being fulcru med to a bar or track, B, and the lever-arm E, through the shoulders of which the rod D passes, with 7 the resilient cushion 0, placed underneath the track A, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an automatic railroad-signal, the combination of the signal-staff G, arm Z, attached 8 thereto, curved link 12', attached to the arm 1, and the lever 12, said lever 0 being pivoted to the lever-arm E, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In an automatic railroadsignal, the com- 8 binat-ion of the signal-staff G, with the spring I and the arms P and 1? attached thereto, the spring N, having the lug U thereon, and the arms L and Z, attached to the arbor M of a train of wheels in a clock mechanism, all substantially asdescribed,and for the purpose set forth.

ANSON D. SIMPSON. DAVID STRAIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN S'raun'ruu, HENRY STRAIN. 

